The National Institutes of Health announced in December that a new center focused on improving the translation of basic research to clinical care and therapeutics would be formed. Provisionally named the National Center for the Advancement of Translational Sciences, the center is set to commence operations in the fall.

Last month’s recommendation by the National Institutes of Health’s Scientific Management Review Board to create a new translational science institute at the NIH came as a surprise to many in the extramural research community due to the short timetable for SMRB's recommendation.